Senate OK's cut of Gitmo closing funds
WASHINGTON, May 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate Wednesday voted to cut from a war spending bill $80 million allocated to close the military prison in Cuba and bar transfer of its detainees.
The 90-6 vote on the amendment came the day before President Barack Obama was scheduled to outline his plan for the 240 terrorism suspects still detained in the facility at Guantanamo Bay. The amendment also bars detainee transfers to the United States or its territories, The New York Times reported.
Democrats Tuesday removed the funding from the $91.3 billion emergency Iraq and Afghanistan spending bill moving through the Senate.
"The American people don't want these men walking the streets of America's neighborhoods," Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said. "The American people don't want these detainees held at a military base or federal prison in their back yard, either."
Democrats cast the six "no" votes.
FBI Director Robert Mueller told a House panel Wednesday he was concerned that Guantanamo detainees could fuel terrorism if sent to the United States.
Administration officials indicated that if the Guantanamo detention facility closed as planned in January, more than 100 prisoners may need to be relocated to the United States, including some described as too dangerous to release.
Of the 240 detainees, 30 have been cleared for release. While as many as 80 of the detainees will be prosecuted, it was unclear what will happen to those who convicted and sentenced to prison.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said Tuesday he and other Democrats changed direction after seeing the House version of the bill that didn't contain the funding.
"In looking at the position of the House, that was more logical," Reid said. "We have clearly said all along that we wanted a plan. We don't have a plan. And based on that, this is not the bill to deal with this."
Economic panel look at energy, green jobs
WASHINGTON, May 20 (UPI) -- Energy was the focus of an economic recovery panel meeting Wednesday, but financial oversight and employment aren't far behind, President Barack Obama said.
Members of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board "are doing an extraordinary job" on a range of issues, Obama said after attending the panel's first quarterly meeting.
White House economic adviser Austan Goolsbee chaired the meeting, and participants received -- but took no action on -- a paper, "Energy, Environment and Technology," which favored moving toward a cap-and-trade emissions scheme and reviewed anticipated cost increases anticipated by using low-carbon energy, including those that ultimately would be passed on to consumers.
Author John Doerr, of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers, said he hopes the paper will be backed by two-thirds of the group.
During the meeting, Obama called a sustainable green economy "a huge, complicated (and) difficult issue." Jeff Immelt, General Electric chairman and chief executive officer, struck an upbeat note on the task of greening jobs.
"I think we're going to be surprised how many jobs we create," he said.
After the meeting, Obama said, "At the end of this discussion, there was impressive consensus about the importance of us getting out front on energy (and) the enormous job creation potential that exists."
The panel also will consider a financial regulatory regime and employment issues as well, Obama said.
The panel, created by Obama in February, is chaired by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker. Goolsbee, who also was Obama's economic adviser during his presidential campaign, is the committee's staff director. The panel's membership includes experts from business, labor, government and academia.
Netanyahu aides: Two-state 'childish'
JERUSALEM, May 20 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's aides say the United States' focus on a two-state Palestinian solution is "childish."
Returning home from a Washington meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama Wednesday, unnamed senior Netanyahu aides told Ynetnews.com, "This idea of two states for two peoples is a stupid and childish solution to a very complex problem."
Another unnamed top adviser derided the notion of Israel trading land for peace with the Palestinians -- an idea strongly supported by Obama and most Western nations -- as "juvenile."
The aides also reportedly vowed that the expansion of the larger Jewish settlements in the occupied territories and in Jerusalem would continue despite strong opposition from the Obama administration.
Netanyanhu himself focused on areas of agreement with Washington, telling reporters, "There is an understanding between the United States and Israel on the Iranian issue, that the development of nuclear arms must be prevented. President Obama has made clear that the diplomatic efforts will not be limitless, and there is an understanding that Israel retains the right to defend itself."
NATO reports heavy Afghanistan fighting
KABUL, Afghanistan, May 20 (UPI) -- NATO commanders Wednesday said international coalition troops continued to clash with Afghan militants in a southern insurgent stronghold.
The intense fighting had been going on for the past few days in the Marjah region of Helmand province, an area where both militant fighters and drug traffickers have been operating, CNN reported.
The International Security Assistance Force said more U.S. troops were moving into the area and that civilians should get out of the way.
"In doing so they will not be mistaken for insurgents or caught up amongst insurgents whose cowardly tactics see them hiding in the civilian population, thereby causing the loss of innocent lives," ISAF said in a written statement.
The force said airstrikes Tuesday claimed the lives of eight civilians in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah who had been forced to act as human shields by militants.
Meanwhile, a U.S. civilian and a member of the coalition forces were killed Wednesday when a roadside bomb was detonated as their convoy traveled between Kabul and Bagram.
The identities of the casualties were not immediately revealed, CNN reported.
DNC chief asks Pawlenty to talk to Coleman
ST. PAUL, Minn., May 20 (UPI) -- Democratic National Committee chief Tim Kaine has urged Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty to convince Norm Coleman to end his battle to regain his U.S. Senate seat.
"No one will deny that the race was incredibly close -- but after an official recount, an extensive legal process and a clear and definitive ruling by the three-judge panel, it is all but indisputable that Democrat Al Franken won and will be the next senator from Minnesota," Kaine said in a letter mailed Tuesday to Pawlenty, a Republican.
Coleman appealed to the state Supreme Court the ruling by a three-judge recount panel that found the former "Saturday Night Live" writer and actor won the senate race in November by 312 votes. Arguments are scheduled for June 1.
Kaine noted that Republican Jim Tedisco conceded a New York congressional race when he realized "the numbers were not going his way." He suggested Coleman follow Tedisco's footsteps.
"I urge you to use your influence to bring this process to an end by asking Norm Coleman to allow his neighbors and yours, their full representation in Congress," Kaine wrote to Pawlenty. "However, if Mr. Coleman refuses to concede and this case is heard and decided by the Minnesota State Supreme Court, I urge you to commit to signing an election certificate for the rightful winner as soon as the Court issues a ruling in this case."
Pawlenty and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie Hatch, a Democrat, have said state law barred them from issuing a certificate until all challenges were resolved.
